


ANIMALS

by bunny_avi



Category: Pentatonix, Superfruit
Genre: Angst, Explicit Language, Hurt/Comfort, Letters, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Minor Violence, Stalker, Stalking, Trespassing, break-in, celebrity worship syndrome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:21:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 21,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27176486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunny_avi/pseuds/bunny_avi
Summary: Mitch has a stalker.Why don't they believe him?***'Maybe you think that you can hideI can smell your scent from milesJust like animals"/Animals - Maroon5/***Celebrity worship syndrome fanfictionOriginally started on Wattpad (11-2019), now I'm using both platforms:)
Relationships: Ben Hausdorff/Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi/Beau Sloane, Scott Hoying/Mark Manio
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20





	1. Foreword

This story is based on an obsessive addictive disorder called Celebrity Worship Syndrome (CWS).

There are different types of this disorder, such as love obsessional, erotomanic, intense-personal, etc. but in this story you're going to read about someone suffering in the borderline-pathological type.

**So what does that mean?**

You've probably heard of crazy fans who did everything to get close to their idols. Things that an avarage person wouldn't do because they know that it's too much or even illegal. Following them, finding where they live or spending huge amount of money buying things which were owned by their idols.

Borderline-pathological is the most severe level of celebrity worship. Individuals suffering from the disorder have poor mental health, often suffer in dipolar disorder, major depression or even schizophrenia, paranoia and so on. This is why they don't notice if they are stepping over a boundary. Often they believe that their idols have some kind of connection with them (for example they are in love).

My character is a male is his twenties suffering from borderline-pathological celebrity worship.

This story is based on fantasy, never happened and hopefully never will. Enjoy!


	2. letter

**‘Baby I’m preying on you tonight**   
**Hunt you down, eat you alive**   
**Just like animals, animals**   
**Like animals**   
**Maybe you think that you can hide**   
**I can smell your scent from miles**   
**Just like animals, animals**   
**Like animals’**   
**/Maroon5 – Animals/**

Dear Mitch,

  
Pro **bab** l **y** you get hundreds of letters like this but **I** still want to tell you how **m** uch I ap **pre** ciate **y** ou. I follow you s **in** ce The Sin **g-O** ff a **n** d I think **you** r **t** alent is crazy. Y **o** ur voice is a **n** gel **i** c and your hi **gh** no **t** es are actual **h** eaven. I g **u** ess this is **n’t** new for **you** and I **d** efinitely w **o** n’t tell you again **w** hat you’ve probably heard a lot. I k **n** ow that my l **e** tter won’t be speci **a** l or any differen **t** than the others **you** get every d **a** y but I hope you’ **l** l not **i** ce and read it anyway.

  
If you got to this point and you are still reading, thank you **ve** ry much. You might **just** wanna know who is behind these **l** etters. **I** thin **k** you probably hav **e** seen me on your concerts **a** lready. I k **n** ow, you see a lot of people there, that’s why **I** don’t think it’s worth to tell you **m** ore. I hope one d **a** y I’l **l** get to tell you all of the **s** e things in person.

  
**Maybe** one da **y** I’ll stand in the fr **o** nt of yo **u** and look in **t** o your eyes. Yes, t **h** ousands of people want the same but **I** ’m sure that o **n** ce you meet me, you’ll **k** now. When I’ll be **th** ere, you **a** re going **t** o notice me and **you** ’ll have no doubts that the letter was mine. I **can** ’t wait to meet you. I will be t **h** ere, I prom **i** se an **d** you ar **e** go **i** ng to know. **I** t’s going to be just perfect. It might gonna happen on your next **c** oncert **a** t the VIP. Or maybe you’ll just bump i **n** to me on the **s** treet. I **m** ight going to b **e** much c **l** oser than you think. It’ **l** l be awesome. **You** don’t have to look fo **r** me becau **s** e I **c** an find you. Wh **en** ever you feel **t** hat someone is watching you – it might going to happen **f** o **r** a valid reas **o** n. One day I’ll show up and you’re going to know that it was **m** e.

  
I hope I didn’t scare you, **m** y dear. There’s no need to be worr **i** ed. Now you know how much I **l** ik **e** you, I could never hurt you. It might **s** ouns scary but so is the future itself, isn’t it? I **just** need to show you what I meant. Can you be **li** eve? I am so close to meet you again, closer than you thin **k**. Can you k **e** ep this in secret? For us? Or just for your own s **a** fety? Remember, I’m **n** ot go **i** ng to hurt you but so **m** eone else might will with not believing you. Or maybe you **a** re going to hurt them by yourse **l** f. Plea **s** e, be safe.

  
See you soon, gorgeous!  
xx


	3. 1

“Thank you for the amazing night! You guys are the best! Thank you so much!” Scott exclaimed through the screams and applause. Their smiles were wide as the crowd was cheering for them. Mitch blew a kiss and waved as he lowered the microphone from his mouth. His glance met Kirstie’s sparkling eyes, he felt Kevin’s presence on his left side and he saw Matt making a quick last selfie with their fans. They’ve made another show together.

As they left the stage, Mark approached Scott and Mitch was automatically searching for Beau, who just was about to hug him from behind as a surprise. Mitch laughed and wrapped his arms around the taller boy’s neck, the adrenaline still floating through his veins. He _loved_ it. Preforming was his life and he didn’t know what he would do without Pentatonix.  
“Baby, you were so good,” Beau complimented him just as usually but it still made Mitch’s heart beat faster.   
“Thank you,” he answered and let his boyfriend peck his lips for a short moment before letting the staff work on him again.

As soon as they were free from the stuffs they needed on stage, they headed towards their dressing rooms. Someone has already collected the gifts and letters thrown onto the stage and put Mitch’s pile on his table. Though he was curious, he turned back to Beau who just closed the door after himself. “I’m so sorry that you have to leave,” Mitch pouted and let his boyfriend wrap his arms around him again. It was quite unfair that Scott could have Mark all the time but Beau needed to go home.   
“I’m sorry, too but we’re going to work this out.”   
“Yeah.”

After Mitch changed his clothes and collected his belongings, they said goodbye. Beau’s cab was already waiting for him in the front of the building and Mitch needed to get back to the hotel with the others. They were in San Diego so it wasn’t a big distance from Los Angeles but they preferred not to travel on the day of the concert. Last night Beau was sleeping with him but now he had no roommate for the night and he had time to read all the letters he has got.

Most of them were really nice, some fans even gifted him their drawings which were amazing. But there was one that Mitch couldn’t really appreciate. It started like almost every other but ended quite weirdly.

_‘See you soon, gorgeous!’_

A chill gripped him and he quickly pushed the paper back into the envelope and put it back on the top of the coffee table. He knew that Beau was on his plane now but he ended up texting him anyway, wishing him a nice trip home. Of course, he didn’t get any reply so he rolled on his stomach on the bed and scrolled through Twitter mindlessly. It was just a stupid letter. It shouldn’t bother him.

***

The following day they travelled back home for a couple of days before flying to Seattle. They had a performance in the city and a radio interview. He was buzzy enjoying his free time with Austin who came to visit him. The time flew quickly and he didn’t even pack his suitcase yet although he had around twelve hours to get ready, sleeping included.

He was facetiming Beau while throwing his clothes onto the floor. He usually preferred to have them nicely but now he didn’t have that much time. His boyfriend was explaining a story in the background so he reacted with hums and small laughs until he dug into his suitcase again and pulled out the letters.

The creepy envelope was on the top of them.

He didn’t even recognize that he was holding his breath until Beau repeated his name several times in a row to get his attention. “Mitch, are you alright?”   
“Yeah,” he answered shortly but didn’t drop the envelope yet. Maybe he was too tired in San Diego and the letter wasn’t even that strange. He was going to open it as soon as Beau dropped the call. Or maybe- “Um, do you want to hear something weird?” he cleared his throat, showing the letter to the camera. Beau wrinkled his forehead.   
“What’s that?”   
“A letter.”   
“Don’t you say, baby. From who?”   
“I don’t know.” Mitch let his hand fall into his lap and stared at the envelope.   
“Did something upset you?” Beau asked again, this time there was something in his voice that made Mitch’s heart flutter. Even though the boy was years younger than him, he was such a reassuring and protective point in the brunette’s life that he instantly relaxed. It was probably nothing. Just a letter from a fan who worded his plans in a weird way. He was well-known since long years and nothing ever happened, neither will now.

Mitch raised his head, looking up at his boyfriend. “Nevermind, it’s nothing. But I can’t decide what to wear in Seattle and that’s something!”   
Beau puckered his lips. “Your wardrobe is bigger than my room, I’m sure that there is something chic.”

***

Seattle was colder than Mitch expected. He was wearing a thin leather jacket, his arms crossed and impatiently stamped his foot. “When does the cab arrive?” He only earned a laugh from Scott and a glance from their manager. They were waiting in the front of their hotel for ten minutes now which was unusual.   
“Are you cold?” Kirstie asked. She wore a nice, long coat and she hugged Floof’s bag close to her chest. The white Pomeranian only let the tip of his nose to be seen through the hole. A smile appeared on Mitch’s face, quickly washed away by the freezing wind.

If Beau would’ve been here, he would wrap his arms around Mitch just as Scott did with Mark. He would probably laugh and say that he has warned him but protect him from the cold anyway. At least his leather jacket was a brand new piece of Balenciaga. It looked amazing and was already sold out a couple of hours after Mitch purchased his own.

He missed Beau.

And he was cold. Like _really_ cold.

They had this radio interview at 1 p.m. and they didn’t exactly knew when they were going to finish but they needed to be ready for the VIP at 6 and the hall wasn’t even close to the studio. They ate lunch at 11 a.m. and hopefully could grab something before the show. Mitch was a bit nervous for the radio live which made no sense. Messing up something there is much less embarrassing than messing up the concert.

Thankfully their ride arrived eventually so they got there in time. After short greeting they sat down by the microphones and started the section with an original.

It ended up quite well overall. Scott only forgot some words but they didn’t need to start over as it happened before. The host was a sweetheart and didn’t ask anything too personal. The interview itself was quite short, they were singing a lot but it was nice. And they weren’t even in a rush for the concert.

They ordered food and ate at the hall while getting ready. Ben was filming them and he caught as Mitch spilled sauce on his shirt he was planning to wear while preforming. He didn’t even know why he got dressed that early. Anyway, he found a better option.

The VIP was starting soon, their makeup was done, Kirstie wore a pink wig, everyone looked amazing and Floof was more hyper than ever. They sat at the table to sign things for the fans. Mitch completely forgot the weird letter until he spotted someone staring at him. Three girls were in the front of the tall, broad shouldered guy and even though the whole place was vibrant from excitement, he was standing there in one place, looking like a sculpture. Mitch dragged his look away and sent a smile to the brunette teenager in the front him.

His muscles tensed as Scott right next to him signed the poster the guy slipped in the front of him. The blonde tried to start a small conversation but the man didn’t reply, as soon as he had the chance, he stepped to Mitch. His eyes were dark green, black circles showing that he probably didn’t sleep so much the previous night. Mitch forced a smile and reached for the poster in the exact moment they guy gave him. Their hands touched and Mitch couldn’t decide if it was for purpose. He tried not to react, just wrote his name on the paper and looked for the next one in the line. Maybe it was mean but he really wanted that guy to be gone.

_‘One day I’ll show up and you’re going to know that it was me.’_

Mitch couldn’t ignore the feeling in his gut. This concert was going to be interesting.


	4. letter

**‘Every breath you take and every move you make  
Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you  
Every single day and every word you say  
Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you’**

**/The Police – Every Breath You Take/**

Dear Mitch,

**Every** time I see you, you take my **breath** away. It was a pleasure to meet **you** but I don’t think you’ve noticed me. I’m a little bit disappointed. It might **take** s a little bit of time for you to know where to pay attention **and** that’s alright. I don’t want to **move** too fast if **you** need more time. I don’t want to **make** you uncomfortable. I want to build a strong **bond** between us, slowly so **you** won’t **break**. I need to earn your trust **step** by step, I know.

**You** are so precious. You know how much effort it **take** s me to keep it slow? **I’ll be** patient, I promise, just **watching** until **you** ’re ready. I’ve been dreaming of today **every** day, yet it was only a **single** touch when the photo was taken. Have you ever been told how amazing your smell is? And your hands are so soft. I’ll remember until the last **day** of my life. I adore you **and** each of my **word** s are true. I’d never lie to **you**.

There’s one thing left to **say** : this **game** with **you** has just started and soon I’m going to **play** a little bit harder. I can count the **night** s until I meet **you** next time. I might going to **stay** closer to you so pay attention. And don’t forget, **I’ll be** gentle. Only **watching** until **you** ’re ready.

See you soon, gorgeous!

xx


	5. 2

“Scott!” Mitch licked his lips as soon as he said his friend’s name. Scott turned around and raised an eyebrow. They were ready to go on stage in fifteen minutes so it wasn’t time for long discussions. “Ah, nevermind,” Mitch decided which caused Scott stepping closer.  
“What’s wrong?” he asked. He had a water bottle in his hand, half empty.  
“It’s stupid.”  
“I have ten minutes for your stupidity.”

Mitch sighed. He was really going to talk about a fan of theirs and it wasn’t right. The man was paying extra money to see them and he probably was just tired. Mitch shivered as he remembered his straight expression. “Don’t you think- Do you remember that tall guy with green eyes and stubble?”  
Scott wrinkled his forehead, thinking. “Yeah, know who you mean. What’s up with him?”  
“Don’t you think he was a bit- creepy?”  
“ _Creepy?_ ” Scott echoed and Mitch already regret saying anything as soon as he heard his tone of voice. “You are talking about someone who has bought VIP ticket to see us, you know?”  
“Yeah- Whatever. I told you it was stupid,” Mitch mumbled.  
“Guys, eight minutes!” someone shouted at the background and it was a perfect excuse for Mitch to leave the conversation.

Soon they all lined up and the show started. They gave all of their energies left for the crowd which was amazing that night. They were loud and energetic, singing along with the band. After the show they were so tired, they only grabbed their stuffs and left.

Mitch had a room on his own as usually. After Scott started dating Mark and he met Beau, they started to have separate places. Then they both moved away and something new has begun. Well, for him it was spent alone most of the time because Beau still had his job in his hometown. It was rather an occasional thing than a normal full-time job but he still needed to be there whenever he was told.

He wiped off his makeup, changed his clothes and pulled the blanket up to his chin while tapping on Beau’s name. After a couple of seconds Beau accepted the call. “Hi baby, how was your day?”  
“It was cool. The interview went fine and our crowd was beyond amazing.” Mitch yawned. “What about you?”  
“I had a lazy day, nothing much to do.”  
They’ve been talking for a while as always. Soon Mitch felt so sleepy that he decided to say goodbye. They were going to see each other in a two days anyway.

***

He woke up quite early compared to how tired he felt last night. He packed his suitcase and sat down on the bed to see what he got yesterday evening. A bunch of sweet letters, breathtaking arts, he couldn’t help but smile- until he recognized the same handwriting he read before. His throat was tight.

_‘this game with you has just started and soon I’m going to play a little bit harder’_

Okay, this was sick. Even if he thought that the last letter was only worded in a weird way, this one was definitely on purpose. Many people told him that they were going to meet him again or complimented him but this one was just completely _insane_. He threw the envelope into his suitcase and zipped it. He needed some real company like- right now.

He texted Scott but didn’t get a reply. Kirstie was in the city with Ben, she told Mitch yesterday that they were planning to eat breakfast somewhere. Matt and Kevin were probably in their rooms. He texted Matt, too. After it turned out that he was right, he invited himself and joined them. For some reason he felt suspicious glances on himself. Maybe because he was usually the one who separated himself from the group. He acted like he didn’t notice.

***

“I’ve been missing you like crazy.”  
“So did I.” Mitch was curled up under the blanket, his head on Beau’s chest. They’ve just finished watching a movie.

This time of the year was always quite okay. They’ve had some free days between performances and interviews. Their album was ready, the Christmas tour hasn’t started yet, there was nothing much to do than just keeping themselves up. They had another concert in two days but until that Mitch was free to enjoy Beau’s company.

He didn’t mention the letters. He figured that Beau world probably react the same way Scott did and say that it wasn’t serious. He really wanted to believe it so he decided not to draw attention on them anymore. If this weird stranger was appearing only at concerts, it wasn’t a threat anyway.

For their next performance they were staying in Los Angeles. Beau was coming to see them but then he has to leave again, and Pentatonix was planning the following concert in San Francisco.

But for now, it was just them. They were talking for a while before falling asleep late in the evening.

However, around 3 a.m. Mitch woke up, much less relaxed than he was before. He sat up, tying to be as quiet as possible because he didn’t want to wake Beau. His plans weren’t successful though.  
“Are you alright?” his boyfriend asked sleepily. Mitch only saw his silhouette is the dark.  
“Yeah,” Mitch mumbled but since Beau was already awake, he didn’t feel that bad for complaining. “Just a nightmare.” He took a deep breath and grabbed the blanket to cover his chest.  
“You wanna talk about it?”  
Mitch shook his head and when Beau opened his arms for a hug, he was happy to cuddle him. He closed his eyes again, trying to think about something else, anything else than those cold, green eyes on meet and greet.

***

His free days were nice and calm. He really enjoyed being with Beau, they had the same mindset.

On the day of the Los Angeles concert they hung out with the whole band. They were having a late lunch together, closer to dinner. Mitch completely forgot his concerns these days so entering the room of VIP made him realize that he was there again.

But nothing has happened.

They signed pictures and posters, they made photos with fans, they sang and no one acted weirdly at the slightest. Mitch was wondering if the guy didn’t even mean coming to this show, so he decided to take it easy and Pentatonix had a flawless performance that night.

On their way out of the concert hall there was a smaller crowd as usually, screaming for them. Scott stopped for a talk with some of the girls in the first row so they all took some time to entertain people.

Someone grabbed Mitch’s wrist at the cordon, and he automatically jerked his head up, meeting a blue pair of eyes. It was almost unnaturally bright, might could fit their Daft Punk music video. Mitch’s breath hitched as he tried to pull his hand away but the man’s grip was so strong that it was hopeless.  
“Hey, could you please let him go?” Scott noticed what was going on because he stepped to Mitch’s side. He was even taller than the man holding his wrist and smiled kindly. The guy didn’t say a word, just showed an envelope between Mitch’s fingers and loosened his grip until Mitch was able to make some distance between them.

His heart was beating out of his chest. Scott seemed not to care anymore, he left Mitch, walking towards their ride with Kirstie.


	6. letter

**‘One way or another, I'm gonna see ya  
I'm gonna meet ya, meet ya, meet ya, meet ya  
One day, maybe next week, I'm gonna meet ya  
I'm gonna meet ya, I'll meet ya**

**I will drive past your house**   
**And if the lights are all down**   
**I'll see who's around’**

**/Blondie – One Way Or Another/**

Dear Mitch,

Thank you for the amazing night in Los Angeles!

It was a real pleasure to meet you again. I don’t know if you’ve read my letters before but I hope now you’re seeing this one. You’re such an icon! Your outfit was absolutely on point, I loved it. I had the luck to have a VIP ticket, it was a blessing. You were so nice with me!

I have nothing much to say, just the usual things you’ve been getting since forever. You’re so talented, please never stop singing! I can’t wait for your own album, I’m sure it’s going to be great. We need more people on planet Earth like you.

I already bought a ticket for your upcoming show in San Francisco.

See you soon, gorgeous!

xx

p.s. just because this song reminds me of you: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zBwRDEFMRY>


	7. 3

“I see nothing threatening in this, angel!” Beau wrinkled his forehead as he read the letter once again. “Please don’t be upset, I think he is just trying to be nice.”  
“I swear, Beau, he grabbed me! It wasn’t nice at all!” Mitch was sobbing. They were sitting on the floor of his bedroom, that’s where Beau has found him after getting out of the shower.  
“Maybe he tried to make sure that you are going to read it.” Beau bit his under lip and let the letter fall onto the ground. He pulled Mitch closer, wrapping him into a strong hug. “Please don’t cry, nothing’s wrong!”

Mitch was devastated. Beau didn’t believe him. He tried his best to tell the whole story but in Beau’s opinion it must have been nothing. Mitch was terrified. The guy told him that he was going to play harder and make sure that he notices him – now he did so. Mitch still felt his aggressive hold on his wrist.

“You know what? Let’s take a walk,” Beau proposed and with that he helped Mitch up. “Fresh air will help you, I’m sure.”  
Mitch couldn’t decide if he should scream or laugh at that. Some fresh air didn’t solve his problem. He said nothing though, knowing that Beau already formed his opinion. He nodded and walked down the stairs to get their coats.

The air was chilly. It was 8 p.m., already dark outside. Beau was holding his hand steadily and talked about his work, only to calm Mitch a little bit. It was a harmless, average topic. Only a few cars were passing by, they’ve met no pedestrians on their short way.

In about fifteen minutes they were close to Mitch’s house again. Someone was standing on the other side of the road, staring right at Mitch. There was a hoodie on his head, covering his face in shadow under the street lamp. Mitch’s relaxed mood left as soon as it came and he gripped Beau’s forearm. The boy followed his stare, perplexed. “What’s wrong, honey?” As soon as he looked, the figure turned on his heels and walked away.

What could Mitch say? That it was him? He didn’t even see his features in the darkness. He pressed his lips together, refusing to say a single word and Beau sighed. “Look, you have a great security system. Nothing’s wrong but even if it would be, you’re not in danger, okay?”  
“Are you sure you have to leave?” Mitch asked instead.  
Beau opened the door for them and led Mitch inside before answering. “I already have my plane ticket for tonight and my cab is going to be here in half an hour. Yes, baby, I do have to leave. But nothing’s going to happen, I promise.”

Mitch felt like a baby for begging Beau not to go but there was no use. His boyfriend gave him a last kiss after thirty minutes of cuddles and he was out of the house.

Mitch went upstairs, inside his room and buried himself under the blankets. He felt miserable. Maybe he was foolish for freaking out but he couldn’t help it. After a short debate he decided to read the letters again. Maybe that way he’ll see why Beau thought they were harmless.

But then he slowly noticed something. Some letters, words were thicker than the others and as he read them together, they actually made sense.

_‘Baby I’m preying on you tonight  
Hunt you down, eat you alive  
Just like animals_

_Maybe you think that you can hide  
I can smell your scent from miles  
Just like animals’_

This was the first one, a lyrics by Maroon5.

_‘Every breath you take and move you make  
Bond you break, step you take, I'll be watching you  
Every single day and word you say  
Game you play, night you stay, I'll be watching you’_

They both needed some correction but the second one was a Police lyrics. Mitch took the third letter and copied the URL he got. When _One Way Or Another_ appeared on the screen from Blondie, he lost it. He started crying again.

Now he didn’t even have Beau to show him.

***

The night passed slowly. Mitch barely caught some sleep and he felt ridiculous. What if the others were right and he was freaking out for no reason? But again, those letters were _freaky_. Even if this guy didn’t want to do anything real, maybe just scaring him, it was something. Did the others ever get these type of messages? What if they all did but didn’t care? What if Mitch was the only one not being able to handle it?

He tried to have as much company as possible until San Francisco. He didn’t say anything though, he decided to keep all his worries inside and try to forget them. No one believed him anyway.

He felt relieved for leaving his house. Maybe this guy will show up on their concert but at least he won’t be alone there. Not like here, in his house. His home didn’t feel safe anymore. There was something is his gut telling him out _get out_.

San Francisco wasn’t too far away from Los Angeles. They went with the tour bus. Mark and Ben joined them as usually. Mitch sat in the corner, acting like he was buzzy with his phone but in reality he was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, sometimes tapping twice to send a heart. The others were in a conversation and seemingly didn’t even care if Mitch joined them or not.

The ride was seven hours and just as Mitch thought, nobody cared about him being quiet. After a while he just escaped from their company and headed to his bunk to be alone. He took his headphones and started to watch a movie to pass the time. He felt so isolated.

When they arrived to the hotel and got their keys, it was already 8 p.m. Mitch was having a room on his own again. He was in such a bad mood that he didn’t even bother ordering something for dinner. After a shower he went straight to bed.

In the morning three missed calls and a message were waiting for him, all from Beau.

_‘Are you okay, babe? :(‘_

Shit, he forgot to tell him that they’ve arrived. He texted him back immediately since it was too early for a phone call. However, Beau was already awake – or Mitch woke him with the message – but he got a reply immediately so Mitch decided to call him anyway.

“I’m so sorry, I fell asleep early yesterday,” he apologized as soon as he heard his boyfriend’s voice through the phone.  
“Don’t be silly, I’m not mad at you. I was just worried. Did something happen?” Beau asked, his voice much softer than Mitch expected. He missed him so much.  
“Nothing really, I just- I don’t know, I was in a bad mood,” Mitch shrugged. He sat back on the bed and picked the corner of the blanket, tears pooling his eyes. He felt lonely. The others were probably eating together but Mitch didn’t show up in time and they didn’t question it.  
“Aw, baby… Do you want to talk about it?”  
“Not really.” Mitch didn’t even know what to say. It was him who was being ridiculous and avoiding the band and these days were stressing him out for no reason. He didn’t really sleep when he was at home but he didn’t know what to say so at least someone would understand him. So he didn’t even tell Beau a word.

He knew that he should eat something before soundcheck but he decided to skip breakfast and only go with some water and a coffee. Thankfully everything went well and he was hungry enough to join the others for lunch. It was fun, the others were excited for the show and Scott was making jokes all the time. For that time everything felt normal. They’ve left the restaurant filled with positive energies.

They had some free time before getting ready for the show and Mitch spent it in his room facetiming Beau and trying to relax. He was in the hall exactly when he needed to and they’ve left in time. After his makeup was done and he stared into the mirror, that was the time he realized that the VIP and this whole nightmare was about to start again.  
“Don’t bite your lips, the lip gloss won’t stay there,” their new makeup artist warned him after he got off the chair. Mitch nodded and took a deep breath instead. He needed to look presentable for the others.

They lined up for the VIP and Mitch peeked out to see their fans standing there. The room was vibrant from excitement. There were mostly girls and for his surprise, he saw no one looking suspicious.

Was it possible that the guy ended up not coming? According to his letter, he has bought a ticket for the show but probably not the VIP then. Mitch relaxed a little and followed the others into the room again.


	8. 4

The guy didn’t appear at VIP, neither in the first rows. Mitch was searching for him just to know if he was there but he couldn’t spot him. He must have been in the crowd or nowhere at all. Mitch tried his best to only concentrate on preforming.

He was curious. After the show he spent some time on looking through the letters he got but those were all from nice fangirls and fanboys. Knowing him, someone already put makeup remover on his table so he turned to get himself ready for going back to the hotel and sleeping. He quickly changed his clothes and left.

There was a small shop right next to the hotel and he desperately needed some toothpaste because he forgot to bring his own and the hotel one tasted like plastic. He didn’t want to bother anyone with his needs since the solution was so close. Instead of following the others inside he went into the store which was almost completely empty. He’s found a decent toothpaste pretty quickly and payed for it but after closing the door behind him, he accidentally bumped into someone. “Sorry,” he mumbled and looked up.

The man standing in the front of him was tall, broad shouldered. The hoodie of his sweatshirt covered his face in shadow. Mitch could really see his eyes but he knew that the guy was staring at him with numb expression, standing right in his way. It was just a single moment but Mitch felt the panic gripping him. He stepped left to pass by the man and started running as fast as he could. He used the stairs instead of the elevator and after locking the door of his hotel room, he practically collapsed onto the floor. His heart was still beating like crazy and he needed to take a couple of deep breaths to calm down.

The guy was at the hotel.

He _fucking knew_ the hotel Mitch was staying at.

Did he follow him? Why was he at the shop? Mitch was sure as hell that this guy was the exact same one who grabbed his wrist and sent the letters, and no one could tell him that he was wrong.

What should he do now? Scott was always annoyed when Mitch said something questionable about their fans and Beau thought that he was being delusional.

A sudden knock on his door made him jump. He didn’t even notice that he was holding his breath but as a last chance he tried to be someone that everyone would be proud of and stood up to peek out.

But there was _literally no one_ on the corridor. Of course, it was already half past nine in the evening, who the hell would visit him this late right after the show? He tried so hard to come up with something comforting but then he saw a small piece of paper in the front of the door.

_‘Why did you run away, gorgeous?’_

That was it, this and fact that he has just bumped into his stalker ten minutes ago sent him into a full blown panic attack and there was no way back.

It felt like forever until Beau finally picked up the phone. It was so late at his boyfriend’s place, he was probably sleeping already. He wanted to apologize but couldn’t even say a word.  
“Mitch? Honey, are you alright?” Beau tried after he got no response for greeting him. He immediately sounded awake. “Mitchy, can you turn on your camera please?” He requested the facetime so Mitch only needed to accept it.

When Beau saw the expression on his boyfriend’s face, he kicked off the blanket to sit up properly. “Oh my God, what’s wrong?”  
“He- He was here,” Mitch wanted to try his best and explain everything but it already felt like failing as soon as Beau puckered his lips.  
“Who are you talking about? The letter guy?” Mitch nodded and Beau let out a small sigh. “Mitchy- Nevermind, baby, let’s talk about this later. For now, I need you to calm down, okay?”

It didn’t help. Of course, Beau didn’t believe him. The despair felt suffocating and he was clearly losing the battle. His heart was pounding so hard, he couldn’t even find any sense in his boyfriend’s words. Eventually, Beau realized that there was no use trying. “Okay, I’m going to call Scott. Hold on, baby.” He tapped on the screen and after some faint ringing Beau started talking. “Hi! Yeah- Look, can you check up on Mitch? Yes. Alright, thank you. Bye! Mitchy, he’s going to be there in a couple of minutes.”

However, Mitch couldn’t decide if only a couple of minutes or a forever time passed when there was another knock on the door, followed by Scott’s voice. He needed to get up and open the door. Scott sent him a faint smile and took his phone to talk with Beau shortly, telling him that they were going to be okay there and he doesn’t need to worry. Then he gently grabbed Mitch’s arm and led him to the bed. He knew what he was doing which already gave Mitch some kind of comfort but not enough. When he told Scott the story of the guy by the store and the knock on his door – but not mentioning the paper -, Scott leaned away to look into his eyes. “Mitch, I swear, you’re overreacting this. I’m sure that no one wants to freak you out. Why would anyone do that?”

Oh. Of course.

Mitch was lost. He felt no strength to fight for his opinion. He craved for someone to believe him finally, to tell him that everything was going to be okay but no one was willing to listen. They all thought that Mitch was making this up. Despite the feeling of shame he couldn’t stop crying.

After a while Scott ordered Mitch to change his clothes for sleeping but when he was finished and Scott only kicked his shoes off instead of leaving, he wrinkled his forehead. “What are you doing?”  
“It’s pretty late, we should be sleeping,” Scott explained calmly.  
“But- Mark?”  
“He doesn’t mind. He’s big boy and perfectly able to survive a night without me.”

Mitch was grateful but also a bit annoyed. It was very obvious that Scott didn’t believe him, he didn’t need babysitting out of pity. Mitch trusted him and Beau the most, yet both of them were concerned for his mental health instead of listening. He didn’t need that. He was perfectly aware that everything that has happened was real.

***

When Mitch woke up, Scott was still asleep. He was laying like a starfish under the fluffy hotel-blanket, snoring quietly, peacefully. Nothing has changed. Sleeping with Beau was easy and comfortable because the boy never tried to kick him off the bed during the night, not like Scott did. They used to share a room every single time they slept in a hotel, even if there was no opportunity to have two beds, only one king sized. Mitch missed his best friend.

From hanging out in every second of their life they went to barely spending any time together and even if they did, their boyfriends were there. Or at least Mark. Mitch wasn’t really envious, no. He always claimed that some distance only helps their relationship with Beau, being a Leo with a Gemini. Sometimes the time spent separated felt a little bit too much and yeah, he wished his boyfriend could be with him more than he does now but it could be worse.

Mitch sent Beau a quick message and then climbed out of bed. After washing his teeth – remembering the previous night – he walked back to the bed and poked Scott’s side. “Hey, fucker, wakey-wakey!”  
The blonde huffed and tiredly rubbed his eyes. “Time?”  
“Half past eight.”  
They were leaving at ten but the others were probably eating breakfast soon.  
“How are you?” Scott asked, now sitting up.  
Mitch hummed. He didn’t really know what to answer so he mumbled a small ‘fine’ and continued packing.

He needed to figure something.

This time on his own.


	9. 5

They were all sitting in a cozy little diner in San Francisco. They’ve finished lots of things that day. It was five in the afternoon, so they were planning to eat and leave back home. Mitch was mindlessly sipping his coffee to keep himself awake for a while, blankly staring at the table in the front of him. He was more than upset, and based on the looks he got all day, the others all recognized the fact. Probably Scott has said something though because no one attacked him with questions.

He couldn’t stand those glances. His stomach hurt of the thought of going home and being alone, he was scared and helpless. Scott was sitting right next to him with Mark on his other side and they were talking until Scott sighed and placed a hand on Mitch’s own. “What’s wrong?”

Mitch didn’t reply. He drank the last sips of the coffee and stood up, waiting for the boys to let him out but Scott didn’t move. “I’ve asked something,” he stated quietly. He was annoyed, Mitch was sure. Scott was fed up with his things for the first time in forever.  
“Everything is peachy, now could you let me out?!” Mitch snapped, only to hide the feeling of loneliness he has never felt before. Suddenly everyone went quiet, staring up at him.  
“Are you guys alright?” Kirstie asked but she got no response.

Scott huffed and stood up. Mitch didn’t understand what his problem was. He has never acted like this before. They used to be best friends, they used to be there for each other and believe each other no matter what has happened. It was so painful to lose him.

He didn’t even finish washing his hands in the bathroom when the door opened and Scott stepped into the small place. The harsh, bright neon lighting was uncomfortable and even though the tiles were clean, the bathroom felt cheap and old. Mitch wanted to get out of there but Scott was in his way, staring into his eyes with a concerning look on his face. “Mitch,” he said simply.  
“Scott.”  
“Look, I don’t know what to say so you will listen- I’m so worried for you.” The blonde ran his fingers through his locks and for a moment he genuinely seemed to care. But Mitch didn’t want to be fooled again.  
“Can we not discuss this right here?” He tried to escape but Scott caught his arm. He cleared his throat and looked away for a short moment to find his voice. But when he did, Mitch wished he never said a single word.  
“Are you taking your medication?”

It felt like Scott was punching him right in his face. Tears pooled his eyes and doesn’t matter how hard he tried not to show, being hurt was written all over his face. He knew it because he could see it on Scott’s expression, too.  
“Just shut up,” Mitch said and finally he got the chance to rush out of the bathroom, walk past by their table and get into the tour bus without even eating his dinner.

***

He finally got home. He was so mad at Scott still. He kicked off his shoes and walked into the living room, feeling completely drained. The way back was an absolute nightmare and he refused to talk to anyone which he knew was pathetic but couldn’t help it.

As the light was switched on and he was able to see, he walked into the kitchen for a glass of water but his eyes widen when he saw that there was a huge bouquet of red roses on the countertop. Beau has been here, hasn’t he? He took the tag on the flowers and read it.

_‘you belong to me’_

Long seconds passed until he realized that the handwriting wasn’t his boyfriend’s. Which meant that someone came into his house. _Someone_ was inside without his permission. His hands were shaking as he pushed the bouquet into the trash can. No, that was not okay. Beau will come next day and what if he sees the flowers with the tag? What if he thinks that Mitch was cheating on him? How will he explain? Because Beau wouldn’t believe if he’d tell the stalker-story again. What if Beau will get mad and leave him?

That night he was alone again, completely on his own, tears running down on his cheeks. He couldn’t believe that this was happening. It couldn’t be real. It was too terrifying.

***

He fell asleep around four in the morning so he wasn’t surprised when the doorbell woke him. He was extremely tired and his head hurt from the lack of sleep he got but Beau was waiting outside. Mitch yawned and pushed the blanket off. Another ringing. He rushed downstairs and peeked out before opening the door and jumping into Beau’s arms, hiding his face in his boyfriend’s shoulder.  
“Hey, is everything alright?” Beau asked, concerned. “Look at me, please.”  
Mitch reluctantly did, only for a short moment before hiding his face again. He didn’t care that he was twenty-seven, he needed those cuddles more than anything.  
“You look so tired, how much did you sleep?” His boyfriend grabbed his wrist to push him inside from the doorway. Mitch watched as he took off his coat and his shoes, and shrugged. “Not so much, huh? What happened?”  
“I don’t know, I was just pretty stressed,” he mumbled, wishing that Beau would switch the topic but that didn’t happen.  
“Same as last night?”  
“Kinda?”  
Beau sighed. “Why didn’t you call me? You know that I’m here for you, no matter what.”

Mitch felt tears pooling his eyes again. It was supposed to be a nice thing to hear but it only made him feel lonelier. He wiped his eyes and let Beau hug him strong. He listened to his voice but it felt empty. It didn’t give him the sense of comfort as before.

Last night he threw out the bouquet into the public trash on the street. Even though he didn’t cheat on Beau, for some reason he felt like he was, like keeping the flowers in secret would’ve been against his faithfulness.

Someone came _into his own home_ without the security system alarming the police. At this point Mitch was _fucked_. This guy knew everything, there was no place anymore where Mitch could feel safe. He was so scared.

They didn’t do much that day. Beau understood that Mitch needed some rest so he was fine with cuddling and watching movies all day, and it gave Mitch the permission of barely talking. He didn’t even know what to say. He was curled up at his boyfriend’s side with a pillow pressed against his chest, his eyes glued on the tv screen and his mind racing without a break.  
“Oh, baby…” Beau pressed a kiss on his temple. “I wish I could help you more.”  
_You could_ , Mitch thought with bitterness. _You could if you would believe me_. _But you don’t._

No one did.

***

Mitch was on the complete edge. Beau needed to leave after two days, even though he was more reluctant than ever. In those days Mitch didn’t do much, just sat in quiet or started to cry for no reason and he had no idea how to bring up the topic of another psychologist or something. Mitch was already visiting a psychiatrist occasionally for his anxiety meds but it seemingly didn’t help that much. Thankfully he didn’t bring up the ‘stalker’ anymore.

When Beau started packing, Mitch was on Twitter and didn’t really pay attention but Beau’s heart was breaking for leaving him alone. He needed to convince him to visit someone at least for a night after he leaves otherwise they were going to have a late night talk again, Mitch crying and Beau not knowing how to help from far away. He hated this long distance-thing.

“Listen, babe,” he started carefully, not really knowing how to begin. “I was thinking that you could have a sleepover at someone’s place after I left. How does that sound?”  
“I’m not a baby,” Mitch mumbled, not looking up from his phone.  
“I know but- I’m just worried.”

Mitch scoffed. Suddenly everyone was worried for him but they were still refusing to listen.

Beau wrinkled his forehead as he tried to read his boyfriend’s face. “Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to say here alone?”

Mitch was thinking what to answer but as much as he wanted to seem badass, he knew that he didn’t want to give his stalker the chance to catch him while he’s home alone. He didn’t have many options, did he? He hated that these days it was so hard to control his emotions. Before he realized, he was already in Beau’s arms, crying into his sweater.  
“Oh my God,” Beau mumbled. His heart was literally breaking but he couldn’t do more than rubbing his boyfriend’s back and kissing the top of his head, trying to be as reassuring as he could.

He knew that Mitch had depression and anxiety but most of the time he was doing perfectly alright. He was smiling, laughing and joking around, he was fun and adorable, and Beau knew that the old Mitch was still there under this mess. He had no idea why his boyfriend was so low but he wished more than anything to know so he could help him.

For a moment he even considered that one of their fans was actually threatening him but then he shook his head and dropped the idea. He needed to think straight. That’s what Mitch needed, not to feed his fears with looking for someone to blame.

What was he supposed to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little fun fact that is not so fun: While I was writing this chapter with the break-in, someone actually tried to break into Mitch's house. When he posted it on Twitter, I felt so bad for writing this fanfiction that I even concidered leaving it unfinished. Like omg, no one should have the thought of violating anyone's private space.


	10. letter

**‘** **I'm sorry but I'm just thinking of the right words to say  
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be  
But if you wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me  
I promise, I promise you I will’**

**/When In Rome – The Promise/**

Dear Mitch,

 **I’m sorry but I’m just thinking of the right words to say.** It has been a while since I wrote a letter for you.

The show in San Francisco was amazing as always. I love to see how passionate you are on stage. I wish you would look at me the same way you look at the crowd.

Did I surprise you last time or did I scare you? Your tears are so sweet.

You know, I think I’m in love with you. And **I’ll make you fall for me, I promise**.

See you soon, gorgeous!

xx


	11. 6

Mitch really wished he could show Beau and Scott that he was completely sane and able to be on his own but right after his boyfriend left, he immediately refused to be alone that night. It was so fucked up. That house was supposed to be _his own home_ , a place where he could finally rest and feel comfortable.

**‘Hi! Beau said that he has left. Just want to make sure that u r alright’**

Mitch let out a small huff as he saw the message from Scott. Of course, they have been talking about him. He didn’t even know what to answer.

**‘U know that im here for you, right?’**

The other message came, reminding Mitch that he was staring at the text way too long and it was time to say something. He chewed on his lips and he was trying to figure something as soon as possible but his brain felt numb from the low quality of rest he got. He felt like he was going crazy. With each small noise his heart was beating faster.

He left Scott’s message on read and texted Austin instead, asking if he had time that night but the answer was disappointing.

**‘Not tonight, maybe tomorrow?’**

Mitch took a deep breath and went back to Scott. They didn’t talk since the blonde asked if he was taking his medication properly. Seemingly Scott didn’t find anything wrong in it even though he knew that he has hurt Mitch. There was no way that he didn’t know.

**‘Mitchy?’**

He had no idea what Beau has told him but Scott was playing hard this time. Maybe it came out of despair but Mitch tried to be honest about his feelings at least once again. They have been best friends since middle school. Maybe if Scott knew more about what he felt, he would take him seriously. Before he could change his mind, he started typing.

**‘Idk i’m just really stressed’**

Send.

**‘Im so sorry :( U wanna come over? Mark makes dinner and we can watch a movie or smth’**

***

Scott sighed as he dropped his iPhone on the coffee table. Mitch has seen his text but didn’t reply. Was he still mad at him because of his question about the medication? Scott was not trying to be rude, why did Mitch not see it?

“Is everything alright?” Mark asked. He was chopping vegetables on the kitchen counter, only turning around for a short second to check up on Scott. The blonde shrugged, looking completely puzzled.  
“I think he’s still pissed,” he answered as he stood up. “I texted him three times and he has read them all.” Silence filled the room. Scott hugged his boyfriend’s waist and buried his face into Mark’s neck. “I don’t know what to do with him. I know him since forever time but this mental health topic is just not for me.”  
Mark let out a sad chuckle. “Thank God for that.” He placed the knife on the counter and turned to look into his partner’s eyes. “Listen, don’t stress yourself out. You’ve been living with him for years. Just let him tell you in his own way like he used to back then. I’m sure he doesn’t expect you to be a therapist, being his friend is enough.”  
“You’re right.” Scott puckered his lips but as soon as he heard his phone binging, he stepped away from Mark.  
“Invite him over for dinner if he’s up to it!” Mark proposed, earning a warm smile from Scott. He was the type of boyfriend he’s been longing for. No jealousy, just trust, love and respect.

***

To be honest Mitch never really talked with Mark. Since he got together with Beau, he was focusing more on his boyfriend than on Scott’s partner. He didn’t know if he would be comfortable hanging out with them in this state of mind but he definitely didn’t want to stay home alone.

He sniffled, pulling his legs to his chest. Scott has probably told Mark everything and now he thinks that Mitch is out of his mind. Just like Scott did. He decided to take out the trash and check the mailbox to clear his mind before answering his friend.

He shivered as he remembered the bouquet. It was probably still inside the public trashcan Mitch chose. What if his stalker saw that he threw it out? He shook his head and took another breath while taking all the envelopes he got. They were formal letters.

Except one.

Mitch was dizzy. He felt like he was going to pass out right there, in the front of his house. _Why didn’t he leave him alone?! Why was he at his place? Why did he need to follow him?_ He nearly dropped all the letters as he closed the mailbox. He rushed inside, collapsing on the couch again and damn, he was too scared to open that fucking envelope. He didn’t care how huge his phone bill was, he had zero interest of what he had been charged for parking in a forbidden place.

**‘Mitchy?’**

A new message from Scott snapped Mitch out of his thoughts. Right. He still needed to answer him. Then his phone rang. He accepted the call, wishing that he won’t sound too disturbed. “Scott?”  
“Mitchy? Why don’t you answer? Are you mad at me? Look, I’m sorry if-“  
Mitch didn’t let him finish. “It’s alright. I’m just- a bit buzzy.”  
“Oh?”  
“But I’d like to come over, thank you,” he swallowed. “Although- I don’t think I can drive.” The end of his sentence sounded more like a whisper and he hated it. The last thing he wanted to be was miserable but it was true. He couldn’t even take a proper breath at that moment.  
“Are you okay?” Scott’s concern immediately grew.  
“Yeah, I just have penalty on my car and I need to fix it,” Mitch lied. Well, technically he didn’t – he still needed to pay a lot for that parking. It was just that despite the penalty he could still drive. However, using his car right now would’ve been a suicide attempt.  
“What did you do that you can’t use your car?” Scott chuckled. “Were you playing _Fast and furious_? Anyway, I can pick you up if you want me to. Or are you going to call a cab?”  
“Come here, please.” Mitch lost it. Small sobs escaped from his lips. “I really need you right now.”  
“God, please tell me that you didn’t hit anyone.” Scott mumbled, his eyes widen. He had no idea what made Mitch that upset.  
“No, it’s not that. Just come. Please.”

After hanging up the call Mitch needed to open the letter. Just to see if it said something that Scott shouldn’t know. It was short as usually and Mitch couldn’t stop rereading the lines.

_‘I love to see how passionate you are on stage. I wish you would look at me the same way you look at the crowd.’_

_‘You know, I think I’m in love with you. And I’ll make you fall for me, I promise.’_

No, Scott definitely shouldn’t see that. If he wasn’t believing him anyway and Beau neither- There was no chance that Mitch was going to let this insane stranger ruin his relationship. He didn’t want to risk the chance of someone thinking that he was cheating on his boyfriend. He ran upstairs and dropped the letter on the top of the others.

He had about ten minutes for his breakdown and getting ready altogether. The ice-cold water felt uncomfortable as he splashed it on his face. His stomach hurt and he still felt dangerously nauseous from the adrenaline. He had no idea what he was going to say to Scott. He needed to sit on the cold tiles for a moment to get himself together. He didn’t know how much he could take of this craziness.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when the doorbell rang. _It was just Scott._ Still, he could barely make himself greet his friend.

Scott’s eyes were always so honest and caring but now all Mitch got was a nervous look. He blocked Scott’s way in the door so he couldn’t get in and possibly see that he was lying about the car penalty or find the other letter. “We can go,” he said and put his palm on Scott’s chest to show him the way back.  
“Mitchy, what’s wrong?”  
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Mitch mumbled as he locked the door. He checked it twice before turning back to his friend.  
“Then why did you tell me to come and get you?” Scott crossed his arms. “Mitch, we used to share everything, remember? What happened? Just say _something_ , please!”

But Mitch kept his mouth shut. He told Scott so many times, yet he never got any support from him. He already started to regret accepting the dinner invitation.


	12. 7

Mitch made sure that he has locked _everything_ before leaving with Scott. He tried his best to forget the new letter at least for that afternoon. He used the opportunity to talk with Mark (so he didn’t have the chance giving an explanation to Scott) and they watched a movie as Scott promised. They ended up going to sleep way too late so it wasn’t worth for Mitch to go home – and he was secretly very thankful for that.

The next morning Scott drove him back to his house, saying goodbye until the following performance which was in a couple of days. It was in Arizona and Mitch this time purposefully didn’t announce it on his social media even though he knew that his stalker was going to find out anyway.

The night spent at Scott gave him some kind of comfort but it immediately faded away as he saw the lock of the front door almost completely destroyed.  
“What the fuck,” he mumbled. He looked back above his shoulder but Scott has already left. Before he even knew what he was doing, Beau already picked up the call for him.  
“Baby?”  
“Beau, someone…“ His breath hitched as he looked back at the door. “The lock is broken and I don’t know if he’s still inside- I- He just-“  
“Wait, what are you talking about? Which lock?” Mitch heard the concentration in Beau’s voice as he tried to figure what his partner was talking about.  
“The front door.”  
“Did you call the police?” His boyfriend asked with a harsh tone this time. Right. The police. Mitch didn’t even think about that. Now that Beau mentioned, it made more sense than asking for help from his boyfriend miles away.

Two police men arrived within thirty minutes so Mitch needed to drop the call with Beau in order to answer their questions. But when they asked him about someone who he thought that could break into his home, he went mute. At first he wanted to spill, to tell everything but then he looked into their eyes and his confidence was nowhere to found. Why would two random strangers believe him? Seemingly his story felt fake even for his loved ones.

At the end, the police officers left without knowing anything about his stalker.

Mitch tried to convince himself that he has made the right decision. Scott and Beau will probably know about everything and if they read his story in the report, they would be so done with him. And what if the police think that he was making up the whole thing? Maybe this time it wasn’t even his stalker.

A few minutes after the officers’ car disappeared, he was sitting on the couch, facetiming Beau. His boyfriend tired everything to get Mitch talking but he was in his thoughts so deep that he couldn’t force out more than a couple of words.  
“Hey, don’t worry. It was probably nothing. Someone tried to break the lock, failed, now the police know, everything is going to be alright,” Beau sighed. “Anyway, you’ll be away from home soon, right? You’ll quickly forget about it, I promise.”

***

Austin was free for that night. They haven’t seen each other since forever and he was happy to have Mitch over. Mitch really tried his best to act like everything was alright so he won’t ruin their time spent together. They were drinking wine and staying up late, though around midnight Mitch was already tired. He absolutely didn’t have enough sleep those days which made him cranky and more anxious overall, and he hated it. Half an hour later his phone binged, alerting him of a new text message. He curiously blinked at the screen, having no clue who could’ve texted him that late. His first thought was a drunk Scott but that wasn’t too common anymore – they either drunk less or talked less than before.

He unlocked the phone and opened the message which was sent from an unknown number.

_‘Whenever, wherever  
We’re meant to be together  
I’ll be there and you’ll be near  
And that’s the deal my dear”_

Mitch frowned. He really wished it was just Beau having a sleepless night and trying to be sweet but in the bottom of his heart Mitch knew that there was no point hoping. First of all, Beau’s number wouldn’t be unknown. So there was one highly possible option left.

_But_ _how._

_Did._

_That guy._

_Get._

_His number?!_

How?!

How was it possible that he knew so many personal things about him? He showed up at his hotel, at his home and now on his phone. What kind of a person goes this far and why?!

He completely zoned out because the next thing he noticed was Austin snapping his fingers at his face. “Hello, Earth calls Mitchell Grassi, are you with us?”  
“I’m sorry,” Mitch mumbled, cringing at the shakiness of his voice. He didn’t mean to sound so suspicious.  
“Is everything alright?” Austin asked with nothing but pure concern written all over his face. Mitch and him got along so well that he obviously noticed when something was seriously wrong. And now, reading the suddenly pale face of his best friend, that message definitely was. “What’s going on?” he tried again, yet no answer came.

Mitch was so angry. How could anyone feel the right to violate his personal space and try to ruin his life?! How could anyone be brave enough to try breaking into his house and send him messages?! How the _fuck_ did he think that Mitch was interested in his _bullshit_?! How did he think that after all of these Mitch would feel _any_ desire to have something with him?!

He wished Beau would believe him and only him. Now he wouldn’t feel like he was cheating on his partner even if he didn’t do anything wrong. But those messages-

“Who sent you this?”  
Mitch has never raised his head that quick to look into someone’s eyes. He immediately drew his phone away as soon as he realized that Austin saw the message and he felt his cheeks redden.  
“Who sent you this?” Austin repeated. “Is everything okay with Beau?”  
“Of course, how the hell could you assume that I was cheating on him?!” Mitch snapped, raising his voice.

_Silence_.

“I didn’t assume that.” Austin’s voice was quiet, almost unsure. “What wrong? I know that you never behave like this.”  
“Well, maybe I do. Get over it.” Mitch felt like biting on his tongue. He had no idea why he was acting so rude with his best friend. Austin never did anything wrong.

But Mitch was sure as hell that he wants to leave him out of this. He didn’t want to lose him, too.

Austin was staring at him, wondering if he should bring up the question again. He could see the anger and fear in Mitch’s eyes.  
“Anyway, we still have half of the wine, we have to drink it.” He only hoped that it was the right decision to let go and allow Mitch to talk whenever he wants to. Forcing him just didn’t feel right. He watched Mitch grabbing his glass and drinking his wine faster than ever. Something was wrong and Austin had no idea what to do.

***

Miles away Beau _did have_ a sleepless night. He was laying on his bed in the dark and watched the passing cars painting shapes of lights on his wall through the shutters.

He was concerned. No, not even concerned. He was _worried_ , more than he ever thought he could be. He never knew it was possible to feel things this strong until he met Mitch. He adored and loved him with every inch of his body. He felt like drowning in guilt every time he left his boyfriend alone knowing about his current state. He didn’t show it because he didn’t want to feed Mitch’s fears but he was scared, too.

Mitch needed to get a new therapist as soon as he could. At this point taking medicine or even using medical marihuana didn’t seem to be enough. Especially since someone tried to break into his boyfriend’s house. At first, he thought it was a coincidence but now he really started to wonder if there was something Mitch didn’t tell him.

He felt horrible but couldn’t help wondering if Mitch thought that his presence wasn’t enough anymore. If he was hiding something. Lately he never shared things as much as he did before and even Beau noticed that he was feeling a bit uncomfortable around him. Was it something about his “stalker”?

Beau tried his best to let those ridiculous thoughts go. If anything was needed, it was definitely not jealousy. But Mitch was so precious and adored by so many people- Yes, he got lots of love from his fans. Even from guys that were better than Beau. Guys who could spend more time with him and give him what he truly deserves. Guys who could be possibly talking with him _right now_. He knew that he really needed to get over his own concerns and pain, and only see what was important for Mitch’s wellbeing at that moment but he couldn’t stop wondering- Did Mitch ever have the thought of cheating on him?


	13. 8

Mitch was _so_ tired. His head hurt from the lack of rest and the wine he drank with Austin but he wasn’t able to get back to sleep. Though it was only 8 in the morning, he could hear someone messing in the kitchen – probably Austin’s fiancé. She came home before midnight but went straight to bed to let the boys have some time together.

Mitch unlocked his phone once again and turned on the mobile net for a distraction until Austin wakes up. Scott had a night out with Mark, Kirstie was with her dogs and Ben, the others didn’t have new Instagram stories yet. He saw the green dot at Beau’s picture and a small smile appeared on his lips. His boyfriend was awake. They’ve been chatting for a while until Beau needed to leave for work.

He pushed his phone away and decided to use the bathroom. The guest room had its own so Mitch only needed to sit up and walk across the place. For his surprise he felt very lightheaded but then remembered that he didn’t really have a proper dinner last night. It was a bad decision and now he was paying the price.

And let’s not forget that he was tired.

No, not only tired. He felt completely drained, his body longing for a long, good sleep but his mind was refusing it. He felt numb, like he wasn’t able to think but his chest hurt from all the stress happened in the past weeks, so for a while he just sat on the bed and tried to breathe.

After he got himself together, he finally walked into the bathroom, hoping for cold, refreshing water. The man staring back at him in the mirror made him clench his teeth. It was a bad habit of his that he could find plenty of things he didn’t like in himself right away instead of focusing on the features he was grateful for. His eyes were darker than usually and his skin was ghostly pale.

Hanging out with Austin was supposed to be relaxing and fun but still, he felt like trash. Inside and out.

He should’ve posted something on social media because his fans were questioning how he was doing these days. He just couldn’t make himself putting things online knowing that his stalker was going to see it. He hated the feeling that he was letting his fans down but he wasn’t able to do it.

Someone knocked on the bedroom door. Mitch was quick to open it, revealing Austin.  
“Morning! Did I wake you?” he asked, and Mitch shook his head. “Kelly has left already but she- Are you okay?” Austin interrupted himself, furrowing his brows. Mitch shrugged. He didn’t want to lie. His heart was already pounding faster, thinking of a proper answer. They didn’t drink enough for a bad hangover.  
“I don’t really wanna talk about it,” he spoke finally. Austin bit his under lip but let the topic go. He took a breath and started to talk about the breakfast Kelly has made for them.

Mitch got dressed and walked downstairs. Despite his empty stomach he didn’t feel like forcing anything down. The smell of bacon made him weirdly nauseous. It would’ve been very impolite to make a scene so he just sat down and grabbed a fork, silently hoping that everything will be alright.

The kitchen was unusually quiet. Austin sent him a weird look before taking a place in the front of Mitch. “You know…” he started but didn’t know how to finish. He cleared his throat. “You know that you can tell me anything. And by anything I mean _anything_. I promise I won’t judge.”  
“Nothing interesting,” Mitch mumbled the response. He got a lump in his throat.  
“I don’t care if it’s interesting or not. I’m your friend, I love you and I’m here for you. No matter what.”  
“Thanks but nothing’s up. Everything is alright.” Mitch forced himself to look into Austin’s eyes. He knew that Mitch was lying but for his luck Austin was the polite type of friend. He was listening, he noticed everything but never forced anything.

And that was how Mitch left Austin’s place.

***

Returning home was hard. It was difficult when your house was the place of constant uncertainness, stress and panic. He needed to pack again because next day they were leaving for an interview and concert but each sudden noise made him jump. He felt so exhausted mentally that after a while he just wrapped himself into a blanket and put on a Netflix show as a distraction while crying quietly.

Next morning he woke up on his phone ringing. It was Scott asking if he needed a ride to the place they were supposed to meet that day. Mitch said yes but then he realized that half of his clothes were on the floor at his suitcase. He literally jumped out of bed and frantically threw as many things in as he could before Scott arrived. He only had time to dress up and fix his hair a little but no breakfast.

Mitch never necessarily liked travelling with the tour bus but it was definitely better than staying at home or at hotels. They barely had space in the living room because everyone had their partners there – except Mitch but he was happy to know that Beau will be following him to their destination. His plane was landing that day in Los Angeles so he was spending a day at Mitch’s place on his own before taking another flight next morning. Mitch wasn’t happy for that at all, he didn’t want Beau to be there alone. Though it would’ve been very suspicious if he suddenly decides not to let his boyfriend in as he did before. He tried to reason with the almost break-in that has happened not so long ago but Beau only laughed and told him that the police would arrive before someone manages to break the new lock. He couldn’t be scared easily.

It was already dark outside when they arrived to the hotel. Mitch got his own room as usually. To be honest, this time he wasn’t too anxious. No one said a thing about where they were going exactly for the interview next day so there wasn’t really a chance that anyone could find him.

He put on a nice face mask and chilled, watching some YouTube videos. They were guests in talk show in the morning so he needed to sleep enough and look presentable, and finally the result of all those nights spent awake with his racing thoughts were about to vanish.

***

He was actually happy when he woke up. He wasn’t too tired, he didn’t look crazy in the mirror and no disturbing texts were to be found anywhere. He quickly realized that he forgot to send Beau a message last night so he apologized quickly and went to dress up. His suitcase was still packed because they only spent a night there. He met the others in the hotel restaurant for a quick breakfast. The partners of Pentatonix were planning some sightseeing while the band was participating the talk show. Floof was literally all over the place that morning and Mitch volunteered to tire him a little bit on the tour bus.

The interview went just amazing, it was a great day overall- Until they arrived to the next hotel. It was near the concert hall which made Mitch quite uncomfortable but he tried not to ruin his day as long as he could. Beau was arriving next morning, he only needed to keep his things together until that time.

As he was sitting on the hotel bed, scrolling through Instagram, his phone rang. It was Beau.  
“Babe, are you okay? Do you still want me to come?”  
“What? Why wouldn’t I? I miss you so much,” Mitch answered, furrowing his brows.  
“I don’t know, you just don’t really talk to me lately and you were pretty hesitant about me staying at your place so I thought- Anyway, are you sure that you want me there? I don’t wanna be too clingy, you know… If you have other things to do.” Beau was hesitant. He had this weird tone in his voice that made Mitch’s heart sunk into his stomach.  
“You could be never too clingy, I love being with you. I love you babe, don’t ever question that.”  
“I just- I feel like- You know what, nevermind. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Love you, too.” No, Beau didn’t sound like himself. Was it because Mitch forgot to send him a message last night? But he apologized for that. Did he find something? Did he find the letters? Did his stalker do something?

Afert a couple words Beau hung up the call and Mitch was left there with all the questions. If Beau finds an evidence of Mitch cheating on him, he’s going to be _fucked_. He was literally hiding information in order to avoid Beau assuming things. He could see now that it was clearly a mistake. He should’ve told at least Austin.

There was a sudden knock on his door, making him jump. His legs automatically carried him to the door and his hand opened it without thinking. His mind was too buzzy to only peek out first and boy, that was a mistake. Someone pushed him over and while he was concentrating on not falling, the door was being closed and a tall, broad shouldered figure stepped into his view.  
“Well, well. Finally, we have some nice time together, don’t we?”


	14. 9

“I guess you didn’t notice this one,” he showed a white envelope and he dropped it on the floor. From the distance between them Mitch could clearly see that the guy was using colored contact lenses. His eyes were bright green, making his stare very uncomfortable. He was wearing a black hoodie as usually and he seemingly didn’t shave in the past days. Mitch unconsciously held his breath as he was waiting for the next step. His whole body was frozen in fear.

“You are just as gorgeous as I remembered,” the man smiled, showing his perfectly white teeth. _He was a psychopath_ , Mitch thought. He wasn’t the stereotypical crazy sloppy weirdo, no. He was seemingly working on his body, his cheekbones were sharp, his eyebrows were neat and his clothes were clean. He looked absolutely normal except one thing: he was in Mitch’s hotel room.  
“Look, I don’t know who you are but you must be in the wrong room,” Mitch tried but he felt failing even before starting to talk.  
The guy laughed. “Please, I know that you know me by now. I can’t believe that we finally get to be together a little bit.”  
“No, we can’t! Please, leave! Right now!” Mitch raised his voice in panic. His entire body was tingling in adrenaline. He tried to step away and open the door but the man caught his wrist, holding him back. He was _so much stronger_ than Mitch. He kept him close with seemingly no effort while Mitch gave in everything to pull his hand out of the man’s grasp.  
“Your hands are so beautiful.” He sighed. “Look, darling- Stop fighting. I don’t wanna hurt you. You’re too precious for that.”

It was so damn creepy. Obsessive people weren’t any better than haters when it came like this. And this dude definitely needed treatment. Finally, Mitch was able to escape from his hold and took a few steps back.  
“You know, it hurts my heart to see that you’re still afraid of me. But it’s okay, we can take it step by step. At the end of the day, you’ll know that you belong to me.”

Mitch stepped back again and took a deep breath. “Leave!” he shouted as loud as he could.

And it worked.

A few seconds after there was another knock on his door. “Mitch? Are you alright?” Scott’s and Mark’s room was right next to his. The man’s face stiffened. He clenched his teeth and his expression became _wild_.  
“Scott!” Mitch was loud enough for his friend to hear but he couldn’t say a word more because the man was quick to catch him and within a minute his hand was pressed to Mitch’s mouth.  
“Shut up, you dumb bitch!” he hissed. “I hate you, I hate you so much!”  
Mitch tried to escape frantically. This guy was absolutely crazy. He was impulsive and completely insane.

Just as Scott opened the door, Mitch was free again. He could see the puzzled, shocked expression on Scott’s face. “Did I interrupt something? Who are you?”  
“I just came to tell Mitch something,” the guy spoke like nothing was wrong with the fact that he literally broke into the hotel room.  
“Hey, aren’t you the man from VIP?” Scott wrinkled his forehead. “You’re not supposed to be here. You can meet Mitch tomorrow if you’ve bought a ticket but you’re not allowed to be in his room- unless he told you so.”  
“I see, I’m sorry. See you tomorrow then.” A small smile appeared in the corner of the man’s lips as he looked Mitch in the eyes. Then he turned on his heels and left.

“I swear, some fans are unbelievable,” Scott blew out the air as the man faded away.  
It took Mitch a couple of seconds until he got himself together again. “Scott, why the fuck did you let him leave?!”  
“Well, he didn’t seem particularly dangerous. He left without an issue,” Scott shrugged. “Obsessive people are the part of our jobs, it’s not a big deal.”  
Mark appeared behind Scott, putting an arm around his boyfriend’s waist. “Hey, is everything alright here?”  
“Yeah, just a fan has found Mitch’s room. But everything’s fine now.” Scott answered, then he turned to Mitch. “Would you like to come over for a while? We could make a Superfruit live or something to get this incident out of your mind.”

To be honest, Mitch was close to a panic attack. He was dizzy and out of breath. The last thing he wanted to do was live streaming. He didn’t know what to say. Scott let this crazy man go and promised him that he could see Mitch the next day. It all felt like a bizarre dream.

Meanwhile Kirstie came out of her room and Scott has probably explained her what happened without Mitch noticing it because she was wrinkling her forehead. She was worried. She placed a hand on Mitch’s arm which felt strangely uncomfortable. He didn’t want to be touched anymore. The group was talking but Mitch couldn’t make out a single word of it.

Scott has made the final decision. He grabbed his arm and dragged him into the bathroom. “Is it okay if I close the door?” he asked. Mitch nodded. “Mitchy, I wanna talk to you. For real now. But first, you need to calm down a little bit, alright?”

He waited silently until Mitch collected his thoughts enough. They’ve been living together for long years, he knew this side of Mitch more than anyone of the band. They both sat on the floor in the front of each other, Scott cross-legged. It felt like middle school again. Mitch couldn’t help a smile at the memory which caused Scott smile, too. But then he started talking. “Hey, we don’t wanna lose you, okay? I don’t know if you just started getting tired of being known or something else but we don’t want you feel the way you seemingly feel nowadays. We all noticed it.”  
“Noticed what?” Mitch asked even though he knew the answer. He just needed more time before figuring an accurate answer.  
“That you’re isolating yourself from us. From the band. You barely hang out with us if we go somewhere. And you look very stressed. Is something going on that I don’t know about?”  
Mitch nearly burst out laughing but not in joy. How many times did he need to tell Scott? Seemingly he was convinced that the ‘stalker’ was just a side-effect of something and not the main happening that has caused everything else.  
“It doesn’t matter if I tell you again because you obviously won’t believe me,” Mitch mumbled, not daring to look into his best friend’s eye. He couldn’t believe that once they have been kissing. They moved together and often fell asleep in the same bed even though they were only friends. They used to be so close. Now they were like strangers.  
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just-“ Scott sighed. “It’s just that I don’t think it’s as dangerous as you feel it. Someone sent you letters that he likes you. We all get that.”

Was it all that Scott saw of the situation? Right, Mitch didn’t tell him the nearly break-in. He didn’t show him all the letters. He didn’t tell anyone the actual break-in when there was a bouquet on the kitchen counter with a note. He didn’t tell Scott when he saw the stalker at his house and he couldn’t convince Beau that it was the stalker. He didn’t tell the SMS anyone.

He barely told anyone anything, yet he was begging for them to believe him. He should’ve told Austin. He definitely should’ve told him but now it was too late. No one would believe him anymore because he had no evidence but the letters, the exact letters that made everyone not believe him.

He didn’t know when and how it happened but the next thing he felt was Scott’s palm on his back as Mitch buried his face into the orange sweater of his best friend and sobbed. He literally couldn’t stop crying. He was so desperate and lonely. He hasn’t been doing very well mentally anyway but these past weeks wrecked him.

Scott pulled him closer but didn’t say a word. His heart was aching for his best friend. Obviously, he knew that Mitch wasn’t the same type of person as him and he didn’t even need to be but sometimes he wished they would’ve been a little bit more alike. Either Mitch would care less about small things or he would understand Mitch more. Despite all those years Scott often felt like a bull in a china shop.

They ended up spending some time in Mitch’s room instead of joining the others. After Mitch got himself together, they ended up making a quite short, only 20 minutes long live stream. Many of their fans were questioning why Mitch didn’t post lately and if he was doing alright.

After dinner Scott was about to leave Mitch’s room when he saw the white envelope on the floor. “Hey, I guess you didn’t notice this one,” he said, smiling. He put the letter on the top of the small cabinet at the door and then left.

It was only a coincidence that Scott used the same words as Mitch’s stalker but it was enough to wash all the calmness away. His stomach started to hurt again, he felt dizzy and he was about to cry again only in less than five seconds.

But he opened the envelope anyway.


	15. letter

Dear Mitch,

**‘Through this world I've stumbled  
So many times betrayed  
Trying to find an honest word  
To find the truth enslaved  
Oh you speak to me in riddles and  
You speak to me in rhymes  
My body aches to breathe your breath  
Your words keep me alive**

**And I would be the one  
To hold you down  
Kiss you so hard  
I'll take your breath away  
And after I'd, wipe away the tears  
Just close your eyes, dear’**

See you soon, gorgeous!

xx


	16. 10

There are times when everything is just _too much_. When you have so many things on your mind that you can’t even follow your own thoughts. When the problems are just growing and you feel that you’re never going to solve them. When everything is hopeless.

That was how Mitch felt.

It was hilarious that this summer he only worried about his album. He felt like crap for not being able to release MG1 in time but otherwise everything was working out fine. He had great friends, an amazing boyfriend, Pentatonix was going well, Balenciaga invited him for a fashion show in Paris. Life was great overall.

Now all the sunshine and rainbows were gone. Since he got the first stupid letter, everything was going downhill. It wasn’t love. He wasn’t getting any support from that guy as he was getting from other _normal_ fans. He was following him, he was stalking him, he was getting into his personal space and Mitch was over it. He absolutely had enough.

His phone binged, making him jump. Lately he was so restless. He opened the message, thinking that it was Beau telling him something about tomorrow but it wasn’t.

**I hope next time you’ll keep your little mouth shut because otherwise remember  
‘I’ll hold you down  
Kiss you so hard  
I'll take your breath away’  
So you won’t be able to talk  
xoxo**

He was staring at the message for minutes but some kind of weird calmness took over him. Scott saw the guy in his room, he had the letter and now the message. He had evidence for Beau because he _needed_ to tell him. That was the smartest decision he could come up with. His boyfriend was arriving next day afternoon, Mitch just needed to collect his words until that.

He obviously couldn’t fall asleep that night. He was staring at the ceiling until 2 a.m., and that was the time he had enough and took medicine. Usually he tried to manage living his life without it so he always felt like kind of failing when he needed to open the small container. But at least he could get some sleep.

Next morning he woke up quite early and ordered some breakfast as usually. After he got the gluten-free croissant and the Irish coffee – just because he wanted something special -, he was sitting on the bed, his back against the headboard and scrolled though Twitter. He didn’t even start eating the croissant when his phone rang, showing Beau’s name on the screen.  
“Morning, babe!” he greeted him but didn’t get the response he expected.  
“Tell me Mitch and be completely honest: does it worth for me to visit you today or should I go home?” Beau’s voice was cold and firm, making Mitch sitting up properly. His heart was automatically beating faster.  
“What- What do you mean?”  
“Come on, just tell me the truth.”  
“Yes, you absolutely should visit me if you want to, I miss you very much,” Mitch said. He was terrified. Did Beau find the letters and assume that Mitch was cheating on him?  
“Well, if you love me so damn much, you better have a great fucking excuse why you gave your lover my phone number or whoever the fuck this guy is?!”

Mitch sat there in shocked silence for a minute. A minute which was probably a bit loot long.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Mitch asked finally. “Obviously I don’t have any lovers, I only have you!”  
“Oh, you _obviously_ don’t, huh? He knows your address, he was sending you flowers and a fucking letter! Don’t think I’m an idiot, I noticed that you don’t talk to me anymore and didn’t want me staying at your place. Now I see why. And he knows my, number, Mitch! That’s just way too much personal information to cover with a ‘ _stalker’_ , you know? I’m not convinced that I should believe you anymore.” Beau sounded so hurt and disappointed. And the worst part was that it was Mitch’s fault because Mitch had _nothing_ to bring up and convince him of the opposite at that moment.

He had no idea how his stalker got Beau’s number, too. Mitch should’ve reported him right after the first time he got a message. He should’ve told someone. Damn, he fucked it up. He tried to hide it so hard that he only achieved what he’s been the most afraid of.

“Beau, please, you have to believe me. Just once, only this time! Please- I wanted to tell you, he got into my room yesterday and-“  
Beau interrupted him with a bitter chuckle. “Oh, he had been in your room, too. Great. I hope you had a fun time.”  
“No! No, let me explain! Please just come here and I’ll explain. Do not assume that I’m cheating on you cause it’s absurd!”  
“Absurd? Interesting but I’d use here the _obvious_ word instead.”  
“Just come, please! I’ll tell you everything, I swear. It’s really not what you think. Just please let me explain in person. Believe me just once, I promise I never had a thought of cheating on you.” There was nothing much left than begging and hoping that Beau will give him a chance.  
“I don’t know, Mitch. I’m not a complete fool.”  
“Please, I miss you,” Mitch tried once again.  
“No. Just- don’t say that. I already regret flying here.” And with that, he hung up the call.

Mitch was a literal sobbing mess. His heart was aching so bad as probably never before. Not even when they were keeping a small break. This time Beau thought that Mitch was lying to him and it hurt so much more than their stupid arguments back in those days. He was in so much pain and he needed relief. He couldn’t catch a proper breath, he couldn’t think so he automatically reached out for the box of medicine left on the nightstand.

***

Beau was so hurt. He felt used. He felt disrespected. He couldn’t believe how blind he was. Of course, Mitch was a superstar. He could get anyone. It’s just that Beau didn’t ever assume that Mitch would lie to him. He saw Mitch breaking down so many times, yet he never thought of any other reason than his mental health. All those times he might have been just nervous of getting caught.

Maybe he was dumb but he loved Mitch so much. He took his suitcase, locked the house and left for his plane right in time. If he was on his way already, he wanted to hear what Mitch was about so say. Even if it felt really stupid and shameful for Beau to travel for being ditched or lied to.

He couldn’t stop staring at the message he got that morning.

**You deserve to know that truth. I can love Mitch better than you ever could. Get out of the way.**

When Mitch got the flowers and the letter, Beau didn’t think much. He was already pretty suspicious since Mitch was talking less with him, spending more time with things he didn’t tell Beau but he was blind in love. He didn’t want to see that something was going on.

And now look at him, such a fool… He was on his way to Mitch instead of turning on his heels.

When they started to date last year, it felt like a dream. Beau has adored Mitch for so long, and when Mitch messaged him back on Twitter, he was on cloud nine. He has never thought that one day Mitch was going to love him back- And after that, break his heart completely.

When he arrived to the hotel, he sent Mitch a message but no response came. He sent him another, then he called him but still nothing. Then he sent Scott a message, thinking that his best friend will know what was up but only got a disappointing answer.

**I haven’t heard of him. U want me to call him?**

Beau accepted the offer and waited nervously, chewing his bottom lip. He was close to tears again. What if Mitch didn’t respect him enough to notice his presence anymore?

**He doesn’t pick up & i knocked on his door but nothing. I guess he’s not in his room? Or maybe he already left to the concert hall idk… Kirstie is going soon, u wanna join her?**

That was a reasonable option. It turned out that Kirstie thought she was going to be the first one there but she was willing to help finding Mitch because he didn’t pick up the phone for her either. No one has seen him, no one has heard of him since yesterday. Beau started to get worried, even more than jealous or hurt.

He anxiously waited until Kirstie arrived and they left to the concert hall, hoping to find Mitch.


	17. 11

Mitch didn’t even notice when he fell asleep. Well, he must’ve fallen asleep because his eyes were closed and he heard someone telling him to wake up constantly. But why? Was he late from sound check?  
“Mitch, fuck, please open your eyes! Please…”  
It was Scott. He sounded so nervous. Crap, he was going to kill Mitch if he missed the sound check.  
“Where is my goddamn phone?! Fuck, Mitch, please wake up!”

Mitch really tried to open his eyes but it was hard. His head hurt for some reason. Anyway, somehow he managed to stir a little bit, to help his body being less numb and then opening his eyes was much easier. “Scott?” he mumbled.  
“Oh, thank God you’re alive! How many pills did you take?!”  
“Wha- what?”  
“Xanax! How many pills did you take?!” Scott frantically ran his fingers though his hair. As Mitch could see, he was close to have a heart attack.  
“Scott, chill out… One I guess? What’s wrong? Are we late?”  
“Mitchell Grassi!” Scott raised his voice but then for Mitch’s surprise, he burst out in tears. “You didn’t answer my call, you didn’t open the door- Then I had this feeling- I opened your door and saw you here with a- With an opened box of Xanax in your hand, passed out and I thought- Please, Mitch, never ever do that! Are you sure that you only took one?”  
“Positive,” Mitch nodded, trying to sit up but he immediately stopped, wincing. He had a _horrible_ headache. Now he started to remember things. Not eating his croissant but drinking the coffee…

Fuck. It was _Irish_ coffee. Coffee with alcohol. And soon after he got the call from Beau and- Anyway, he didn’t even think about the coffee, he just took his medicine. Xanax is forbidden to take with any amount alcohol.

So was it all real? Did Beau hate him now? Heartbreak hurts so bad… Mitch literally gasped as the memories of the call came back. He pulled the blanket closer to his chest.  
“Please, don’t tell Beau!” Mitch looked up at Scott, who still sniffled, wiping his face with the sleeve of his hoodie. Mitch felt like shit for making him cry.  
“Tell what?”  
“That I took Xanax because of him.”  
“You- What? Because of _him_? What did he do?” Scott seemed like he was literally ready to punch.  
“Doesn’t matter, he doesn’t wanna see me anymore.”  
“What do you mean? He’s literally in the city looking for you.”  
“Is he?!” Mitch couldn’t name the feeling he felt. He was relieved but terrified at the same time. He didn’t want to look into Beau’s eyes and see him being hurt. And he didn’t want to experience again how Beau is not believing him.

Mitch wanted to get up but the alcohol and Xanax on his empty stomach made him dizzy. Scott caught him so he wouldn’t fall off the bed.  
“Are you sure that you only took one?” he asked again.  
“I promise, Scott!” Damn, he really tried to sound less annoyed as he did. He didn’t want anything else but a bit of relief from being in so much pain, it was his stupidity that he did it at the wrong time. Meaning the coffee, obviously.

He forced himself into a sitting position but his body still wasn’t into the idea. He only got into the bathroom to wash his face and drink some water but some minutes later he was leaning above the toilet, trying to calm his already empty stomach. Scott must’ve followed him because now he was kneeling right beside him. Of course nothing came up.  
“Are you finished?” Scott asked quietly, gingerly stroking his waist.  
“I didn’t eat breakfast,” Mitch answered. His head was literally killing him. He closed his eyes for a moment. Scott softly pulled him down for a hug from behind but didn’t let him go.  
“Scott?” Mitch mumbled.  
“Yeah?”  
“What do I have to do so you’ll believe me?”  
“I already believe you,” Scott answered.  
“No, you don’t.” A silent tear rolled down on Mitch’s cheeks. He was so tired of trying to prove.

***

“He’s definitely not here. The security needs to let everyone in, if they didn’t see him, he was never here,” Kirstin stated the obvious. “I’m sorry, Beau. I have no idea.”  
“I’m calling Scott again,” the boy decided, and Kirstie nodded. She waited there as Beau lifted the phone to his ear. It took a forever time until Scott finally picked up. She watched Beau’s expression as he listened, and when he dropped the call, she didn’t even need to ask what kind of news he got.  
“Scott has found him but he’s not alright. I need to go.”

While walking outside, Beau called an Uber. He met Kevin at the main entrance who seemingly knew nothing about Mitch yet. The short road back felt like hours. The elevator was on the top floor so he ran up on the stairs instead and literally almost broke the door as he rushed inside.

He found them on the bathroom floor. Scott was hugging Mitch, who was crying and he looked so vulnerable that Beau immediately forgot about his own pain.  
“He needs to eat something,” Scott said. “He’s really weak.”  
Beau clenched his teeth. Even if Mitch was cheating on him, he loved him enough to help. It didn’t feel right to let him down. “I’m going to take care of it,” he nodded eventually. Scott sent him a sad smile and gave his place for Beau on the floor. When he heard the door shut, he sighed.  
“I didn’t cheat on you, I swear,” Mitch mumbled into his sweater.  
“Let’s talk about this later,” Beau proposed. It really wasn’t the right time to talk about their love life. He moved so he could help Mitch up. “We should go to your bed.”

When they were both on their feet, Mitch winced and buried his face back into Beau’s shoulder. “My head hurts so bad.”  
“I know,” Beau sighed and stroked his back as a sign to go. He noticed the croissant on the nightstand so he immediately gave it to Mitch. “Have you been drinking or what?” he asked.  
“Not really. Just forgot that my coffee had Whiskey in it when I took a pill,” he admitted. “Beau, I’m so sorry! I didn’t cheat on you. I promise I didn’t.”

Mitch’s eyes were so honest. Beau had no idea what to say so he just listened.

“I can show you everything so that you’ll understand. I promise I wasn’t cheating.”  
“But was somebody in you room?” Beau asked, pressing his lips together.  
“Yes but not like that! I didn’t invite him and-“  
But Beau didn’t let Mitch finish. “Let’s say that I believe you, you didn’t cheat but I don’t wanna know any details, okay? I don’t wanna hear about anything that can be questionable. Let’s just forget everything, alright? Whatever happened, it’s gone, it doesn’t matter now.”

And he really meant that. He’s been talking with Scott and he said that the thing with the guy in Mitch’s room was solved alright. He didn’t want to have stupid afterthoughts so it was better to let things go. He still had so many questions about the flowers and the letter, about his number but he tried to close them into a little box in the bottom of his mind and not let them control his feelings. He really loved Mitch. He really wanted to believe him.

As Mitch was looking at him with big, brown eyes filled with sadness, Beau couldn’t help but leaning forward and give him a small, soft kiss on the lips. “You’re really special to me, you know?”  
Mitch bit his under lip but nodded. Beau couldn’t read his facial expression anymore. It was almost like he put on a mask, trying to hide what he was feeling. Was it a bad idea to ask him not to talk about that guy? But Beau was so scared that any further information had the chance to cause an argument. Still, there was this horrible feeling sitting on his chest, not letting him go. Whatever Mitch was about to say, it was important to him. And if it was important to Mitch, it should matter to Beau, too.  
“You know what,” he decided. “I do wanna know about the guy if you feel that I need to. Just not right now. Can we discuss after we got home?”  
Mitch nodded.  
“You’ll have a concert tonight, babe. Are you feeling up to it?”  
“I can’t ditch it,” Mitch shrugged. “I just need to take a nap. Can I have a painkiller?”  
“I don’t think you should take another medicine after this morning. Try to drink some water and get some sleep instead. Hey, are you sure you’re alright? You’re so pale.”  
“I’m fine,” Mitch mumbled.

Beau wrinkled his forehead as he watched his boyfriend pulling the blanket to his chin. Now he felt that he should do something differently, for sure. He wanted to keep Mitch. He just didn’t know how. And he didn’t understand what was wrong with Mitch either.


	18. 12

After Mitch woke up and started getting ready for heading to the concert hall, he nearly had another panic attack in the bathroom. Scott literally told that crazy guy that he was allowed to see him. He was nauseous, he was dizzy and desperate.

He slept through the sound check but the band has promised him that it was alright and they were able to finish his part before the show. While he was applying some concealer Beau was sitting on the edge of his bed, scrolling through social media, seemingly not knowing about the anxiety Mitch was feeling that moment.

Somehow the whole life felt like a bad joke. Like a horrible nightmare.

He wasn’t able to say a word without being bitchy so he just pressed his lips together, took his bag and left with Beau in silence. There was a tension between them. Beau didn’t even want to touch him anymore. Despite everything he said Mitch knew that he was still pissed and hurt.

At least he gave Mitch a chance to talk about this whole stalker-thing after they got home. That was more than nothing and much better than breaking up.

He really didn’t feel like making a show that day – even though he was sleeping long, he was still exhausted and he felt like nothing was able to put a smile on his face. They all got ready for the VIP and he was sharing a dressing room with Scott. Mark was out somewhere, Beau was having a phone call on the corridor. Their makeup artist just left and their time was getting closer and closer. He literally felt like his legs weren’t even able to keep him up anymore. The stress was making him nauseous and he needed to sit down. He hid his face in his palms and tried to calm his breathing, hoping that he won’t throw up right before the VIP.  
“Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?” Scott asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.  
“I’m just nervous,” Mitch answered shortly. He was literally on the verge of a panic attack again so he really needed to do something.  
“Why? We did this so many times.”  
Mitch didn’t say anything to that. He knew that if he would talk about the guy, Scott would just try to brush it off. There was the well-known pain in stomach and he knew that he can’t hold it anymore. “ _Fuck_ ,” he mumbled. That was it. He was literally getting sick from stress.

He stumbled into the bathroom and barely had time to close the door before his stomach gave the last warning. He felt pathetic.  
“Mitchy?” Scott knocked on the door. It was locked and Mitch didn’t want to let him in. He had enough of looking weak. But at the same time everything was a little bit too much for his senses. The lights were too bright, the noises were too loud, the weird pain is his stomach felt too much. He couldn’t go out there. He wasn’t able to face his stalker again. That guy had the chance to touch him multiple times during VIP and Mitch felt sick and dirty only thinking about that.  
“Baby, open the door please!” Great, now Beau was there, too. At least Mitch only needed to push through two days until he could finally tell him everything. Then things will get better. Hopefully.

Damn, he was _so anxious_ for that stupid VIP. He usually didn’t take Xanax before shows because it made him slow down and tired but now he really needed it. There was no way he was able to make this show without it.

Thankfully their makeup artist was amazing and didn’t need to redo the whole thing. Everything stayed there as far as Mitch could see in the bathroom mirror. He finally opened the door but couldn’t go anywhere because Beau was standing right in the front of him. “Are you really just nervous?” he asked and when Mitch nodded, he continued. “You really don’t have to be. You guys did this so many times, it always ended up amazing.”

_‘You don’t have to be.’_ Mitch hated hearing this. ‘Just stop worrying. Just quit being nervous.’ Like it was that easy. Obviously he didn’t _have to be_ stressed but he was and it couldn’t be magically healed by saying that he should stop.

They all lined up for the VIP and Mitch already could see from the door that the guy was there. The same colored contact lenses, the same black hoodie, the same strange look on his face. Mitch clenched his teeth.

Scott was very excited for the VIP as always. At the Q&A he was talking longer than usually but then they went on with the questions. He hated that his stalker raised his hand as well and he secretly prayed that no one will notice him but his hope was dead before it was born. It was Scott who asked him what he wanted to say. _Scott_. Scott knew who he was.  
“It’s for only Mitch,” he guy started, looking him deep into the eyes. “Do you prefer messages on phone or real letters?”

_He couldn’t be serious._

“I-“ He _needed_ to say something. “Well- Really depends on the situation.”  
Dead silence sat on the room. Kirstie let out an awkward chuckle. “Okay, so next question…”  
Mitch felt his stare burning holes into him but he was too scared to look up. He knew that some of his bandmates were watching him too because no one really understood the situation, except Scott maybe. At this point Mitch wasn’t even sure if his friend realized that this guy was the same one sending him creepy letters.

Then it was the turn of pictures. He needed to force a smile and keep it on while his stalker was getting close to him in the front of the people who didn’t believe Mitch. He took a breath and kept it in. After the shot was made, the guy leaned down, close to Mitch’s ear. “It wasn’t too bad, right?” And then he left. Mitch just stood there, frozen until their next fan.

The show went on quite alright except that Mitch couldn’t get the stalker off of his mind. He was seen nowhere but Mitch really doubted that he left home. He was constantly checking the crowd but the guy wasn’t there. It was so tiring to pay attention to so many things at once. After they finished, everyone went to their own dressing room.

“So what do you think?” Scott asked while removing his makeup.  
“Of what?” Mitch was still sitting on the couch, drinking water and trying not to break down.  
“Tonight. It wasn’t bad, huh? Sad that you’ve been so nervous in the beginning.” Scott wasn’t dumb, Mitch needed to remind himself. But he couldn’t understand how his best friend didn’t see the obvious. After all the stress from that day Mitch was too numb to react. He automatically reached for a cotton pad and for some makeup remover.

***

By the time they left the concert hall there was pitch-dark outside. As usually, some fans haven’t left yet. They were standing behind the cordon. Some of them started screaming when they saw the band walking out the door. Scott smiled widely, he was quick to be there, followed by the others. Mitch was the last one leaving the building. He didn’t really feel like acting nicely, all he wanted was going back to the hotel and sleeping finally.

But then someone grabbed his arm and yanked it harshly. He hissed in pain and instinctively turned around to see the person behind him. He wasn’t even able to speak a word because the attacker pressed his palm on Mitch’s mouth and pulled him closer.  
“Listen here, you slut…” But then he stopped. Mitch tried to escape violently, wishing that it will catch someone’s attention but they were behind the street lamp in the darkness, both dressed in black.

Of course Mitch recognized who the person was. The stalker pushed him, Mitch’s back hit the wall and he needed to gasp for air. He tried so scream out for help but the man’s hand was still on his mouth. “I swear the God if you say a single word I’ll fucking choke you.” He was so angry. Mitch could see the rage in his eyes and it was terrifying. “It’s all your fault,” he continued. “I hate you… I can’t fucking stand you! I should’ve killed you right at the first time! It’s all your fault!” Then he stroked Mitch’s throat with his finger. “Too bad that you’re so breathtakingly gorgeous. But maybe it’s time for someone to take _your_ breath away, right?”

Then all of the sudden he stepped away. His stare burned Mitch’s skin.  
“Here’s the deal, darling: for now, I’ll let you go, alright? It’s not the right time for us. However, if I hear just once that you said something about our little conversation here, your friends will need to find another little angel for the band. Also, you better cooperate, otherwise I need to find a way to get your little boyfriend out of the way. Did you understand?” At first Mitch didn’t reply. The man reached out, pinching his jaw between his two fingers. “I asked something. Did you _fucking_ understand?!” Mitch nodded in silence, so the man smiled. “Great. See you soon, gorgeous!” And with that, he disappeared in the darkness.

Mitch was in shock. He couldn’t make his body move, he was short of breath and he was shaking. The others were still chatting with the fans. All of the sudden Kirstie looked back and her glance met Mitch’s. Her eyes widen.

He could tell her that it was only his anxiety acting up. Would she believe it? That has never happened like this before. What was he supposed to say then? What was he supposed to do? Was the man going to hurt Beau? He wanted to tell him everything, now he wasn’t even sure if he could. Beau will break up with him.

Kirstie has reached him already and she was talking but Mitch couldn’t make out a word of what she was saying. And then suddenly everything went black.


	19. 13

“You could bring a bottle of water. Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s going to wake up soon.”  
“Shall we take him to the hospital?”  
“No, he’s going to be alright. He just needs some rest.”

It took Mitch a while until he realized who was speaking. Kevin was close to him, Scott a little bit further away. Mitch felt weirdly numb and he knew that something has happened but at that moment couldn’t remember what exactly. The room he couldn’t recognize was half-lighted and warm. He needed to know where he was.  
“Hey, you’re awake,” Kevin said but Mitch didn’t focus on him until he tried to sit up and the beatboxer softly pushed him back. “Don’t move yet, please. You might pass out again and we don’t want that, right? Scott, water bottle?”  
“There you go.” The baritone’s expression was worried. Kevin took the drink from his hand. He sent a calm smile to his bandmate and Scott tried to return it but he was clearly nervous.

After a couple of minutes Mitch nearly fell back asleep. He felt so exhausted, almost unable to keep his eyes open. Kevin saw it, so he was back in action.  
“Now sit up a little bit, okay? You should drink some water and eat.” He didn’t wait for Mitch’s answer, he helped him up anyway.

Now Mitch could see that they were on the tour bus. Kirstie and Matt were sitting on the floor, both staring at him. Mitch felt awkward, he was sure that he was blushing. He accepted the water and took some sips to distract himself.  
“Listen, we need to talk,” Scott begun, and now everyone’s look was on him. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry that we’ve decided without you but each one of us agreed that it was necessary. We cancelled everything for the next month but we want you to see a specialist. This needs to stop, Mitchy.”

Mitch nearly spat out the water. The band has been discussing about taking a small break because of him and they’ve completely left him out. It was probably Scott’s idea. Mitch didn’t understand why they kept it in a secret. Every decision made about the band was supposed to be made collectively. Mitch felt like he was stabbed in the back.

Moreover, the only specialist he needed was a policeman or a lawyer.

“You should’ve asked me first,” he mumbled.  
“Excuse me?! If you’d be responsible enough, you would’ve told us that you need a break so there would have been no need to act behind your back!”  
“Scott!” Kirstie warned him with wide eyes.  
The blonde took a sharp breath. “Right, I’m sorry for raising my voice. It’s just so hard to watch you suffering, Mitchy. You’re my best friend. You mean so much to me.”  
“Whatever,” Mitch said. There was a suffocating lump in his throat and tears burned his eyes. He didn’t care about Kevin wanting him to stay. He jumped up and rushed into the small bedroom of the tour bus, slamming the door a bit louder than he was planning to.

That was it. He had enough. He buried his head into a pillow. He was furious. He felt failed. He was terrified. What were they expecting from him? He wasn’t crazy but he couldn’t talk anymore. He wasn’t allowed.

Maybe it would’ve been better to _actually_ take a lot of Xanax as Scott suspected. There was no other way out of this. If he’d tell them everything, his stalker is might going to _kill him_. Or even worse, he might kills Beau. Mitch was so terrified.

He literally felt the guy’s hand on his neck again and he gasped for air. He heard the man’s voice, he saw his eyes. Maybe he was going to go crazy. He was fighting for each breath but they didn’t satisfy his lungs. He pulled his hair, chewed on his lips, tired everything to distract himself from the memories but it didn’t work.

Even though the curtain of the bunk bed wasn’t closed so he could see Scott walking into the room, he didn’t notice him until the blonde sat on the edge of Mitch’s mattress.  
“Hey, it’s okay,” he whispered and reached to hold down Mitch’s wrists, who tried to escape frantically. After some moments he finally looked into Scott’s eyes and stopped fighting.  
“I’m so sorry,” he cried but didn’t even know what he was apologizing for. Scott pulled him into a hug.  
“You don’t need to,” he answered. He purposefully kept Mitch close to his chest so his friend couldn’t see that Scott was crying, too.

***

After they arrived back to the hotel, Scott reluctantly led Mitch to Beau. The younger man knew everything already because Scott made sure of that. According to his plans he wanted to take all the responsibility from Mitch and let him rest, but for that he needed everyone to cooperate without Mitch knowing.

Mitch recognized that he was kind of babied in a way he wasn’t used to but he was too weak to resist. As he was inside of the room, he immediately took a pill and cuddled Beau on their bed but as much as he tried, he couldn’t fall asleep. Beau turned the lights down so the room was pitch-black. Mitch tried to focus on his presence: he sound of his heartbeat as Mitch was laying on his chest, his warm palms against Mitch’s hips, his thumb drawing small circles on the exposed skin under his shirt and his calm breathing. Mitch buried his face into Beau’s chest.  
“Are you alright?” the boy murmured.  
“Yeah, just can’t sleep,” Mitch answered. The medicine was slowly kicking in, numbing his racing thoughts.  
“You had a crazy day, huh?” Beau sighed and pressed a small kiss on his forehead. Mitch smiled. He missed these kind of small ways of affection. He couldn’t resist returning it on his boyfriend’s shoulder who chuckled. “I love you.”  
“I love you more.”

***

Thankfully they didn’t use airplane for this trip. It was much calmer and cozy with the tour bus, only with the people Mitch knew and without annoying crying babies or turbulence during the flight. The difficult side of the tour bus was that if _everyone_ joined them, they literally had no place. It was designed for the five members of Pentatonix. On the way there Mark, Ben, Leigh and Sarah were there but on the way back Beau joined them, too. Ten people instead of five, plus Floof.

Mitch knew that everyone was informed about the break and why it was needed but no one brought up the topic. Mitch felt like a huge disappointment. They needed to cancel interviews, studio work and a concert because of _him_. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want to balk the band and be left alone with his thoughts. He needed to stay buzzy in order to keep his sanity. In addition, the more he stayed in one place, the more likely it was that the stalker was going to harass him. Scott was packing in the bedroom which was a perfect opportunity for Mitch to talk with him.

He sneaked in and closed the door. Scott raised his head and lifted his eyebrows in surprise. He saw on Mitch’s face that he was up to something. “What’s going on?”  
“So about the break…” Mitch started, not knowing exactly what to reason with.  
“Yeah?”  
“I don’t need it.”  
“Yes you do.”  
They stared at each other for long moments until Scott broke the silence and sighed. “Yes, you do need it, Mitch. Besides, we’ve already cancelled everything. We knew that you wouldn’t want that but the first thing is always the health of the bandmates. Work comes only after that.”  
“Scott, for real… I don’t need it,” Mitch attempted again.  
The baritone rolled his eyes and threw the shirt that was in his hand on the closest bed. “Do you want me to call a meeting with the band? Clearly everyone sees that you haven’t been yourself lately. We’re just worried about you, don’t be so stubborn.”

Little did they know that they were causing more harm with this than advantage. Mitch let out a frustrated huff. “You’re ruining everything.” He didn’t even know why he said that. Maybe he was so desperate for change. When he saw the hurt on Scott’s face, he knew that _he_ ruined everything.  
“I don’t even recognize you,” Scott said slowly after the heavy, suffocating silence that filled the room. “Do you even understand that I’m not trying to cause harm? I wish I could help you more, Mitchy, I really wish but after all _you’re_ the one not believing me.”

Hearing that felt like a punch in the stomach. Scott was using his own words against him and it hurt. Of course Mitch understood that he didn’t try to cause harm. The thing he didn’t understand was that why didn’t Scott realize when he was causing it anyway?


End file.
